“There are two important lessons here. First, the universal availability of the internet and social networks mean that this type of information can be easily disseminated independently of preprints. Second, peer-reviewed journals may not effectively function as gatekeepers: Raoult’s paper was published after alleged peer review despite its flaws and, as of today, still has not been retracted. Preprints provide an opportunity for the scientific community to discuss new work, and indeed many researchers pointed out the flaws in the Raoult manuscript in medRxiv’s comment section and elsewhere. Additionally, the “more-sober analysis” Mullins refers to showing “HCQ has no proven role” was itself a preprint posted to medRxiv in July 2020….

We and the other cofounders of medRxiv are experienced biomedical editors and thus well aware of the challenges presented by biomedical preprints. We recognize the need to balance their undoubted advantages (which have been particularly evident during the pandemic, when they have allowed researchers to quickly share information about promising research avenues and treatments) with the potential drawbacks. medRxiv papers go through extensive screening for dangerous material, and we have previously detailed the reasons for declining certain manuscripts out of an abundance of caution. Meanwhile, as the growth of preprints on bioRxiv and medRxiv demonstrates, the scientific community is becoming acclimatized to a new norm in which research is available for discussion and comment prior to formal review….”